


Tread A Different Path

by FuneralCake



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Percy Jackson, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Female Percy Jackson, Finding loopholes on Ancient Laws, Gods Trying To Be Good Parents, Hermes is trying, Letters, Parent-Child Relationship, Poseidon (Percy Jackson) is a Good Parent, Sally Jackson is a Good Parent, Smart Percy Jackson, This thing writes itself, very slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:55:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24961174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FuneralCake/pseuds/FuneralCake
Summary: One stolen visit becomes another and another, until Poseidon realizes he simply cannot abandon his precious daughter.Sally finds a curious loophole that shifts things enough to begin an entirely different sequence of events. The woven threads are unravelled and new wefts and weaves are introduced to the tapestry of fate.
Relationships: Luke Castellan & Hermes, Luke Castellan & Percy Jackson, Luke Castellan/Percy Jackson, Percy Jackson & Hermes (Percy Jackson), Percy Jackson & Poseidon, Percy Jackson & Triton
Comments: 33
Kudos: 875





	1. Chapter 1

He knew he should resist. Should never visit. But he finds himself unable to resist. So he steals into her room like a thief in the night, to watch her. And because at the end of the day, he is but a weak selfish creature, he lifts her from her crib and holds her in his arms.

Persephone Jackson. His first daughter in millennia. His lovely princess. Her eyes open and familiar sea green eyes peer up at him with wide eyed adoration. She giggles and coos and somehow, Poseidon grows to love his little princess even more. 

"I didn't think you would visit her." Poseidon hides his surprise. Had he really been so taken by his daughter, that he failed to notice Sally?

"I shouldn't" he admits, turning to face the beautiful woman who had given him this blessed child in his arms. He notes how her eyes turn sad, smile turning wistful as she looks at them. "My brother would kill her, if he found out. And even then, gods aren't allowed to interfere with their children."

He understands why. He knows how devastating they could be in their grief. He remembers, millennia ago, when the world was swallowed by ice and famine in Demeter's sorrow, and thinks perhaps Zeus may be justified in his fears but, there are other ways. There could have been better ways.

"Just your children?" Sally asked, brow furrowing in thought.

"And demigods during quests." He adds in afterthought, before Percy distracts him by trying to tug at his fingers. He grins, and extends his index finger for her to hold, heart melting when her tiny fingers enclose around his.

"Why not talk to me then? And I will talk to her in your stead? Tell her what you wish to tell her? Could you not have done this?" Poseidon stares at her blankly, and remembers that once upon a time, before life took it's toll on her, Sally was on her way to becoming someone brilliant. It was such a simple loophole, but it just might work. He thinks of his family, and wonders why Athena never though of it.

_Then again, she probably already has. She just wouldn't do it, considering how much of a goody-two-shoes she is._

He thinks of how to proceed. Too many of them using this loophole and Zeus would find out. He will have to be careful of whom he tells. And when they get to camp, he'd have to look for a demigod he could talk to, who would relay messages to Percy.

He'll figure that out later, years from now. For now, he will cherish these nights he gets to steal, with Percy in his arms as he and Sally talk about how to go about their plan.

It looks like he might get to be a bit more involved with Percy's life.

\--

Percy's life was weird. For as long as she can remember, the water was her friend. It would do as she asked for as long as she had the energy to ask it. It would always rain when she got sad, and the rain would always stopped when she stopped crying. Fish followed her. Whenever they would pass an aquarium, big and small, whatever fish inside would try to follow her.

And for as long as she could remember, she had been exchanging letters with her father. There is never a stamp. No address, no pictures from the man. But always, at least once a month, a letter would come from her father.

It was always written in greek too, though for some reason she could read it as if it were english. The letters swam less when she read her fathers letters. And with it came seashells of different shape and size, sometimes with pearls inside and sometimes with little sand dollars that she knew were special.

Most astonishing was just how much her father knew. He had to be observing here some way because he would ask about things not even Percy's mom knew.

He would reassure her not to worry about the man in a suit following her around, and when she complained that he looked like he had one eye the next letter, he'll tell her it isn't anything to worry about.

Down to the most mundane things. Like how she started looking for books on ancient greek. That year on her birthday, he even sent her compilations of myths in greek. Or how she had scraped her knee when a class bully pushed her. He had urged her to tell her Mom afterwards, and told her how mean Anna Frank wasn't worth _his little sea princess' tears._

It would always be her mother handing her the letters too. No mailmen came. No delivery people to bring in the birthday gift her father never failed to send. It was always her mother handing it to her.

\---

Percy was 6 when she writes to her father about her powers. She couldn't ignore it. Not now when she knows she should have drowned earlier. She had tripped and fallen into the sea. She had been knocked into a rock and the breath had been knocked out of her chest. But instead of coughing and choking when water rushed into her chest, all she felt was relief. If it was possible, she felt better breathing water than air.

The water and the fish and the rain she could ignore as coincidence, but not this. And she knew this couldn't be from her mother. Her mother, for all she loved the ocean was always the first to tug Percy out of the water when she felt too cold, something which Percy never understood. Her mother got sunburnt and cold. The waves would fight her movements at times the way they never did Percy even when she swam against the currents.

So if it wasn't her mother, then it had to come from her father. She'll just have to be patient, and wait a month for her father's messages to come.

\-----

She comes home a month later, soaked to the bone and vibrating with anger. It was storming outside and some car had had been running fast enough to splash a puddle onto Percy. She had been on the way home from school, rushing to get back because she'd forgotten to bring an umbrella. The thunder and lightning already made her feel uneasy. And now she's muddy, her favorite sea green shirt splattered and her hair sticking to her face.

She just needs to get her clothes washed fast enough before the mud sets in and stains it. She rushing into their apartment, only to freeze. There stood her mom, talking to a man with dark hair and green eyes. Her eyes. They look like they had been arguing, except now she has both their attention. She doesn't miss the alarm in the man's face, how he looks at her from head to toe, inspecting before meeting her eyes in relief.

"Dad.." she says softly. She doesn't need to be introduced. Not when she knows those eyes, knows that scent and energy, remembers it from a long long time ago that she has no recollection of. She just, knows.

"Percy, what happened?," her mother asks.

"A car sped by a puddle in front of me," she mutters grumpily then glares at the man, her father, who chuckles at her.

"You had us worried, princess." His voice is a rich tenor, warm and indulgent as he spoke. Then with a wave of his had, the water gathers off her form, bringing mud and soot with it into a ball of muck floating in the air which he redirects into the sink.

Her mom looks disapproving, but she ignores it, grinning brightly. "I can do that too!" Her mother's eyes soften, while her father's eyes glow with pride.

"Well little princess, aren't you gonna give your old man a hug?" She cannot fight the exuberant squeal out of her lips as she runs to hug her father.

"Well, we are due a conversation aren't we, little one?"

\---

Her father was Poseidon, earthshaker, stormbringer, god of the seas. She was a princess of the sea. A demigod. She had just met her father. A man who loved her so much, he had bent rules just to get to talk to her.

He will be sending someone to teach her how to use her powers soon. Her father wanted to do it himself, but he isn't allowed so he has decided to send her brother instead.

She hoped they got along.


	2. Chapter 2

Percy was shaking. She does her best to ignore it, smiling at Grover who somehow managed to be paler than she is. She thinks of returning Mr. Burner's pen, his sword, except he approached with someone very familiar and she realized the cat was, as they say, out of the bag.

"Brother," she greeted, breathless. She rushes to Triton, hugging him around the middle, mindless of Grover's startled bleat.

"You have done well, little one," Triton praised, placing a hand on her head. "Anaklusmos has served you well."

"Riptide?" she asked, confused.

"She has been left in my care, to be retyrned to a child of the sea," Mr. Burner cleared up. "I had expected much confusion and the need to explain but it seems you already know, young Percy." 

"What's going on? What was the kindly one looking for?" She asked, pulling back from her brother's hug. "And why did she think I had it?" 

"Our uncle upstairs has lost his precious weapon..., and it's been causing all sorts of problems for everyone," Triton said gruffly. "You would do well to head to camp, little one. I'll talk to Sally."

"I... Alright brother," she agreed. "Take care."

"This is for you," he said with a softer smile, handing a by now, familiar letter. "Be warned. Father isn't sure if he could claim you without our Uncle just striking you down. You may have to stay hidden for a while."

"So no splashing around?" Percy asked, frowning. The water was a part of her in ways she can't put into words. Restraining that felt wrong.

"Quite the contrary, sister." Triton said firmly, placing hands on her shoulders. He meets her terrified eyes with firm ones, steely and determined. "Train fiercely, specially with your powers. We aren't sure of what's coming. You must be prepared. I can no longer come to train you when you're at camp. You must not let yourself grow lax."

"I will brother," she promised, nodding.

"Keep Anaklusmos with you at all times." He takes the pen from her shaking fingers, gripping her much smaller hands tightly as he does so, before it shifts before her very eyes. It becomes a hair clip, that he used to fasten her hair up before he gently kissed her forehead.

"Stay safe, little princess" 

"I'll do my best, brother."

\------

Percy tries not to gape when Mr. Burner, Chiron, finally steps out of his wheelchair. Because of course, he was a centaur.

She wondered what it said about her, that her uncles wanting to kill her was easier to swallow than seeing an entire horse-body emerge from a deceptively flimsy wheelchair.

Still, they got to camp halfblood with relative ease and none of the drama Grover's last mission went. Probably because it was still quite a ways from the solstice, before the gods meet and things are set into motion.

It could have gone horribly if she just found out what's going on after the end of term. She shuddered at the thought.

Still, she hadn't been able to say goodbye to her mother in person. Sure Percy had been able to IM her, but nothing changed being able to hug her and reassure her that her demigoddess daughter was fine. 

Which she was. Percy was fine, death threats non withstanding. A part of her was itching to pick a fight, heaving like a rising tide in the face of the accusations. She was no thief, and she would never dare to bring her father trouble. 

And that was all the lightning bolt would bring. Trouble.

Her father was plenty powerful enough without it. He had no use for a weapon he wouldn't be able to weild anyways.

The thought of lightning made Percy wrinkle her nose with distaste. There was something inherently off about the idea. Of sharp edges and flashy lights that makes revolt.

Her father always did say the ocean was strong within her.

"Do you play pinoccle girl?" Mr. D asked, eyeing her with distaste. She tried to recall what she knew of Dionysus, as is the only person this guy could be, amd wondered if he's always this grumpy.

"Percy still needs to be shown around camp Mr. D," Chiron interrupted. He looked around, checking to see who was nearby and a passing guy caught their attention both. "Luke!" 

He was much older than Percy, by two or three years give or take. There was something inherently wicked with his expression. With how his eyebrows twitched and his lips quirked when he noticed Chiron and Percy looking.

He screamed mischief as he ran uphill towards them.

"Are you done with today's sword training Luke? Miss Percy Jackson needs a tour around the camp." Chiron said with a smile.

"A new one? Undetermined?" He asked, lips quirking. "She seems a little too dainty to be one of ours."

"Unclaimed," Percy decided to answer, wanting to see how he'd react to the specific term usage. She extends a hand. "I'm Percy Jackson, nice to meet you." 

"Luke Castellan," he answered, eyes narrowing curiously though his smirk widened. "One of the camp councillors. Son of Hermes."

"I figured," Percy answered with a wry smile. "You practically scream mischief."

"Miss Jackson," Chiron interrupted, seemingly amused by their interaction. "Don't forget to pick up your belongings after the tour."

"Yes Chiron!" she said, before turning to the older demigod. "So where to?"

They take a winding route around the camp, going past magic grown strawberry fields and their very own not-so-forbidden forrest. He shows her the magma vomiting climbing wall that some children of Ares are trying their hands on and the forges.

Luke takes her down the creak and into Long Island Bay and she very much wants to cut the tour for a bit. She apparently wasn't all that subtle.

"You okay?" the guy asked, pausing between a rather amusing anecdote about one of the capture the flag games gone wrong where someone ended up getting washed into shore.

"Are we in any particular rush?" she asked. "I kind of want to check out the bay for a bit."

"Well it's still early," Luke said, checking a rather battered wrist watch. "Dinner isn't for a couple of hours more. We could afford to stop bye. I wouldn't recommend going for a swim though, unless you'd want to continue this tour soaking." He answered with a grin that just made Percy laugh.

"No, no swimming," she promised, already picking up the pase and getting nearer to shore. She wasn't expecting Niads though.

Whatever Luke was about to say was cut off when the women splashed them. It was instinctive to stop the arc of water from hitting, glaring at the giggling water spirits.

"Behave," she admonished, letting the water flow back into the ocean. She reaaally hoped Luke wasn't the kind to tattle. Her father would have no choice but to claim her this early if it got out. 

"Sorry princess," they were still giggling before they dove into the waters, entirely unaware of the damage they've done.

"Well there goes that cat," Percy sighed, tugging of her sneakers and wading into shallow waters. Luke was still suspiciously silent and a part of her doesn't want to have to answer questions.

The ungodly shriek she lets out when Luke tackles her into the water is entirely justified. As is splashing him with a five foot wave when he resurfaced.

"What was that for!" she exclaimed, sitting up. The water was shallow enough that they only came to her neck when seated. Luke emerged laughing.

"I'm sorry, I was just testing a theory," he said with a grin that really wasn't sorry at all. "And you seemed too worried. Don't sweat it, kid. If you don't want people knowing who your father is, then it's all fine by me."

"Don't call me kid," she huffed, rolling her eyes, getting back to shore. Luke followed easily, eyes trained on her as she emerged, dry.

"Think you could dry me up to?" he asked sheepishly.

"We'll see..."

"Percy!!!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omgosh. I had no idea this would be so well received. Umm thank you.
> 
> Soo I kind of tweaked the timeline. Since Percy is much stronger, it doesn't really take much for miss Dodds to attack her. Thus, earlier field trip of doom.


	3. Chapter 3

Hermes cabin painted a rather sad picture. Something she endeavours to write to her father about. Or maybe to lord Hermes. He should be able to do something about it, so it could at least fit whose inside right?

She spent the first night on the floor by Luke's bed, her luggage stuffed underneath said bed. He had tried the valiant route of surrendering his bed for her but she wouldn't move an inch. He was just as deserving of sleeping in a bed as her and she wouldn't put him out of a bed.

She was just a guest and a benefactor of Lord Hermes after all.

Trying to fit on the table during dinner was just as much of a challenge. It did make for entertaining dinners however. Something she would miss when she finally moved to cabin three.

She burnt food for her father for guidance, her uncle Zeus for patience, her uncle Hades just because and her cousin Hermes as thanks for housing her in camp.

Despite having gone to several boarding schools, camp halfblood was nothing like it.

There weren't much in the way of adult supervision, given that some councilors were as young as her. Instead, it was a camp full of children that had grown up too quickly, training for a chance to survive.

They spent as much time training as they did studying, which was handled by most of the Athena children. A part of her wondered how hard it would be for even one student to graduate. To have a life beyond camp and fighting.

The entire place was set up like a retreat. A temporary training camp until you're strong enough to tough it out by yourself. Either that or children were expected to die too early.

Still, camp halfblood had a certain charm to it. She would love to spend all her summers here, but she wants to live outside of these walls. Wants to go home to her mother and study and finish school someday.

It's during her first weekend at camp, pondering this by the seashore that she gets a visit.

He looks utterly mortal, and she would have confused him as such if not for a multitude of little things she knows better than to ignore.

His expression, his facial structure, was something all of the children in the cabin she's staying in shared. The same upturned brows, sharp cheek bones and roguish smirk, just stronger somehow. More mischievous, if that was possible. 

Secondly, despite how seemingly innocuous he was, she could see past the casual appearance. Past the slouched form and loose track suit, or the harried, stressed expression on his face. There was something old about him. A mantle of heaviness she has only seen from the gods she has encountered.

Lastly, she was in Camp Halfblood. No mortal, aside from that one very confused delivery guy, if Luke was to be believed, have ever gotten here.

"Lord...," she trailed off at the warning look and realized he might be here unofficially. "Cousin?" she offered and he smiled, nodding.

"Hello Percy, how had camp been treating you? He asked, sitting down beside her. He dug into his pockets and pulled out a can of soda.  
"Cherry coke?"

"I'm not going to get bound to FedEx for life or something right?" she asked with a grin, though she accepted the drink.

"No, nothing like Uncle's food," he reassured with a chuckle.

"Thank you cousin," she said with a smile. "You know, I had been wanting to talk to you." 

"Indeed?" His sharp brows raised with curiosity.

"Yeah, I had wanted to offer my services in exchange of a request, if you would allow it," she said. While she knew Hermes was one of her more laid back relatives, she still wanted to be as polite as possible. He gives her a considering look, before leaning back, clearly waiting for her to continue.

"I don't know if.., dad told you about his agreement with my mother. About, well, a loophole. Because while you aren't allowed to interact with your children, nothing stops you from interacting with other people. And I could play messenger, cousin." she offered, hoping she isn't making the deal to the wrong person. Because she can't afford to tip Zeus off and if he found out, he could take more effort to stop the loophole.

"I had actually known," Hermes said and just like that, she breathed a sigh of relief. "Now you mentioned a request, in return?"

"Yes cousin," she answered gently. "I've been staying in your cabin. I think I will be for a while yet. And while I am immensely thankful for the hospitality, I would like to ask if you could spare some time for at least basic repairs and if at all possible, expansion. Some of your own children are on the floors, cousin. It would have been okay if it was just us, the guests but, well I figured you had been too busy to notice."

Hermes had a rather troubled expression on his face thar Percy couldn't understand.

"Alright," he decided. "In return, you get to be santa's little helper today," he answered with a grin.

"It isn't Christmas yet," she pointed out with a grin.

"You're still going to act as messenger for my children though," he pointed out, before pulling out a huge, sealed package. "You're in charge. I need you to give each and every one. And explain the loophole to each of my children, Percy. In return, I'll do something about the cabin. Deal?"

"Thank you cousin. Deal."

\-----

"l really need to talk to you," Percy whispered, tapping Luke on the shoulder after he finished that day's sword practice. He eyed the sealed package on her hands curiously, before nodding.

"I'm going to need to shower and change first Perce," he said. "I'll meet you by the bay?" 

"Okay," she agreed, leaving him to freshen up. She had been twisting herself up on how to explain this, and decided to let the letter do most of the talking.

She didn't have to be a daughter of Athena to understand that Luke was rather bitter about his father. While most demigod children had a rather rocky childhood with the complications of having one parent and the drama that follows, she got the feeling that Luke didn't have the support system Percy had in her Mother.

She apologized to Anaklusmos, pulling off the pin and brandishing the sword, only to use her asa box opener but she didn't have much choice. She carefully dug through thr alphabetically sorted letters, pulling out the one addressed to Castellan, Luke.

"Percy, you wanted to talk?"

'Speak of the devil,' Percy thought wryly, sitting down on the sand and patting the space beside her, putting the letter back into the box, on top of the stack for easier access.

"Did you know that the gods are expressly forbidden from contacting their children?" she asked. With the way his expression twisted, she figured he did. "Uncle thought it would be best for gods to stay detached, so that when their children eventually died they wouldn't mourn them too much. It was a precaution set after Aunt Dem decided to plunge the world into ice after her daughter ran into the underworld with their brother."

"That doesn't make it right," he gritted out. 

"It does not," she agreed, before very deliberately setting her hand on his shoulder. "But it doesn't change the fact that they had no choice."

"Why are you bringing this up, Percy?" he practically growled. "What, are you trying to convince me the gods care?" 

"My mother found a loophole," she answered instead.

"A... Loophole?" he said blankly. Likw the idea of going around orders didn't even occur to him which was ridiculous. He was the child of the god of mischief.

"Yeah. Though, apparently they kept it quiet to make sure it.. Didn't get back to the wrong ears," Percy answered. "Gods aren't allowed direct contact with their children. But, they could talk to others." Here her smile turned wry. "My father has been, talking to my mother all my life."

"Is that why you're so good with water?" He opted to ask, mind running a mile a minute.

"Part of it. A part of it is just.. Because. Father said I have too much of the ocean ib me," she admitted, a pleased smile on her face. "But, that isn't what this is about."

Luke's face crumpled with something akin to heartbreak. He was hesitant, and so very hurt. Almost skittish as he reached for the letter she offered him.

"Do you want me to leave?" she asked.

"I don't think I'd ever be able to read it if you do," he admitted shakily, leaning bodily on her.

"Take your time," she answered back.

\------

Percy could tell camp half blood was antsy at how quiet the last week had been. One by one, the children of the Hermes cabin had gotten more sombre. To her, she could see the relief there. A mix of heaviness in their chests and lightness on their feet at the conflicting feelings.

Luke helped her deliver each letter to his siblings without anyone the wiser, only reporting a change to Chiron when the last letter was delivered. Hermes kept his promises of course, and the cabin had been refreshed, like it had been cleaned, restored , reshingled and repainted. They couldn't expand much, but more bunk beds had been added where they would fit and much more comfortable bed rolls were given.

The rest of the camp simply thought Hermes cabin was preparing a prank..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it took a long while to update. My brain kind of melted on me. I ended up spending most of my time on PM Seymore's Discord and just, shutting in for about a month. I've been without my laptop and had been working on my phone which does not, a good writing environment make.

**Author's Note:**

> This is a rewrite of an idea I had literally five years ago, that was left as a floating oneshot in the depths of ffdotnet. Suffice to say I was horrified by the quality and decided to try and make something more out of it.
> 
> Five chapters worth of content later, I figured I should probably try and upload.


End file.
